Half Alive
by psycho-pink-faerie
Summary: Karen Fisher has a secret, and when new site manager Rob Scotcher decides to dig a little deeper into the mystery she shrouds herself in; his past and her present collide in ways they could never have imagined. Karen/Charlie. Karen/Rob. Rated M for abuse
1. Chapter 1

**Summary:** Karen Fisher has a secret, and when new site manager Rob Scotcher decides to dig a little deeper into the mystery she shrouds herself in; his past and her present collide in ways they could never have imagined. Karen/Charlie; Karen/Rob

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**Warning:** This is darker than anything I've written in a while, and may be emotionally triggering to some readers as it refers to domestic violence, and a mention of suicide in later parts. Rated M for this reason.

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**Author Note:**

This is the first in a three or four part story, and the idea came to me based on some dialogue that was in my head when I woke up this morning. (I love it when that happens :D) It however didn't turn out in the way I expected, and ended up much darker.

I'm not sure how in-character I've made Rob, so apologies if he's slightly off the mark. Also it seems slightly disjointed to me, but every author is their own worst critic so it's probably fine.

Slightly AU in that it takes place during series 7; however Karen is still married to Charlie for the purpose of the story.

I may also write a prequel to this at some point, if the inspiration strikes because I think that whilst it can stand alone, it may work better with something before it.

Please read, and hopefully leave a review!

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**Disclaimer:** I don't own Waterloo Road. Enough said there.

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**Half Alive**

_Karen let herself into the darkened house and switched on the light in the hall. She turned at the sound of footsteps behind her. Her husband stood in the doorway and she swore he could hear her heart starting to hammer wildly in her chest. "Hello Charlie."_

_"Why are you so late home?" Charlie asked, ignoring her greeting, and advancing towards her. He'd been drinking, Karen could tell. The slightly slurred words and the smell of alcohol on his breath were an instant giveaway._

_"Sorry love," She apologized, taking off her coat and moving to hang it in the cupboard under the stairs. "I had to write my staff reports, I must have lost track of the time." She pretended not to notice the way his eyes narrowed, or that she wasn't intimidated by him, as he backed her against the wall. _

_Charlie's hands tightened around her wrists, and he used the weight of his body to pin her against the cupboard. "It won't happen again," he said threateningly; it wasn't a question, she knew. "Will it?" She tried to shake her head, fearing that if she spoke her voice would betray her fright. "I said will it?" He raised his voice, "Answer me Karen!"_

_She took a deep breath before responding, "No Charlie, I'll be home earlier tomorrow." With every word she spoke, she felt more ashamed of herself. She was so weak for letting him take advantage of her like this. _

_He gave her a dirty look, "You better see that you are," he said warningly letting her out of his grip and storming off upstairs; the door to their room slammed shut. Shaking violently, Karen slid down to the floor, crying silent tears of relief that a few bruises were all she had to hide. This time. _

**Part I. **

A knock on her office door caused Karen Fisher to stir; and dazed she realised she'd fallen asleep, her head resting on the pile of statistics she'd spent the evening trying to analyse. She looked up, and feeling a pair of eyes on her, saw Rob hovering in the doorway. "Rob," she managed, looking at him through tired eyes, "I was just-"

He held up his hands, "Relax Karen," he said, stepping inside the office. "Perhaps this isn't the best place for sleeping; why are you even still here?"

Her shoulders tensed visibly and he frowned; she hadn't been herself for weeks; he'd barely seen her and in a school the size of Waterloo Road, avoiding someone wasn't easy. On the rare occasions he did see her up close, her eyes were rimmed red as though she'd been crying, and there were bags under her eyes. Truthfully, he was starting to worry. Karen stood up, trying not to wince as though she was experiencing some discomfort, which Rob duly noted. "I had a lot of work to finish," She said shortly, turning away from him and filing her paperwork away into the relevant section of her expanding file.

"Right," Rob started, "Well I need to lock up now so-" he paused eyeing her worriedly; he'd swear that he could see fear in her eyes. Perhaps he was jumping to conclusions; connecting dots that weren't there but deep down he was sure he was right. In his minds eye he could remember the first time he met her. At his interview he couldn't help but notice the tell tale bruise on her cheek, which she easily dismissed.

"Forgive me Karen, but I have to ask," Her whole body froze at his words, and she looked at him like a deer trapped in the headlights, before training her eyes on the carpet. "Is something the matter?"

"No!" She snapped, her hands shaking as she tried to clip her file shut. "No, everything's f-fine." Her voice trembled and she struggled to remain composed.

"I don't believe you," Rob said slowly, with a resigned sigh. He swore that he was right, but until she gave him some concrete proof there was nothing he could say to her. "But whatever it is, you know you can always talk to me. I care about you a lot Karen." He admitted.

"Thank you Rob," she said briskly, brushing her hair away from her face and immediately wishing she hadn't, but there was nothing she could do about it now. She knew by the look on his face he'd seen. For Rob, it was all the proof he needed; her right eye was surrounded by a deep purple bruise. She'd clearly tried to hide it, but no amount of make up could have made it any less obvious.

The expression on his face hardened and when she nervously met his eyes, it scared her. If he wasn't sure before, there was no doubt in his mind anymore, especially if the distance Karen had now put between them was anything to go by. On top of her strange behaviour, and then finding her asleep in her office when she could quite easily have been at home, it all added up. "Talking to me is no longer just an option," He said quietly, reaching out a hand and moving her hair back from her face so he could take a closer look at her eye. The office lighting made it look worse and she flinched at his touch. "It's nothing really – I just –" She started, clearly panicked.

"Let me save you from thinking up an excuse," Rob said gently. "Charlie did this to you, didn't he?"

Karen opened her mouth to vehemently deny Rob's accusation but found she couldn't form the words. Instead she swallowed hard and nodded, hot tears coursing down her cheeks.

"Oh Karen," he whispered, wrapping his arms around her. Her body stiffened, and he heard her stifle a gasp, as pain radiated throughout her chest. It didn't go unnoticed, and Rob stepped back from her, eyes scanning her for any other signs of injury. His eyes narrowed as he realised, "Undo your shirt please." His tone remained neutral, but she could feel the anger emanating from him. Now he knew what she'd been hiding, he couldn't just ignore it.

Karen looked away from him, embarrassed. It was ironic how she'd spent years silently willing someone to notice… to give her a way out, but now Rob had, she was too ashamed to let him in. With trembling fingers, she slowly unbuttoned her blouse. Karen was too mortified at the state he had found her in, to be concerned about him seeing her semi-undressed.

Rob inhaled sharply, beneath the pressed white blouse, her skin was mottled purple. Bruises tainted pale skin, spanning across her chest. They dipped beneath her bra and ended just below her right rib. "Oh Karen," he said again, at a loss for what to say. Her eyes filled with tears and now he knew the truth, Karen needed to get everything out there. She wordlessly rolled up her sleeves, revealing a series of small bruises; he knew that was where Charlie's fingers had wrapped around her arm. "How long has this been going on for?" He whispered, horrified.

She buried her face in her hands, "A while," she muttered, finally looking up and meeting his eyes. Rob raised his eyebrows, "On and off… for about seven years," she elaborated tonelessly. "Seven years, and no one ever knew. I'm sure some people guessed, but they couldn't ever have proven it."

"I thought I knew before today," He admitted quietly. "I recognised the signs." Karen started to cry; Rob held out his arms and she hesitated before burying her face in his shirt and clinging to him like a drowning man would a life buoy. Seven years of pain and sadness overwhelmed her, and emotions which had been hidden deep inside for so long, resurfaced. They remained like that for nearly ten minutes, until, her face damp, she pulled away from him, noticing the clock on the wall behind him. "I need to get home!" Karen said anxiously, fumbling with the buttons on her shirt. "They'll be wondering where I am."

For a second Rob was sure he couldn't have heard her properly. "You can't be serious!" He was incensed, "After everything you've just told me, you're going home to that – that – monster."

"Do you really think that it's what I want?" She asked quietly. "He's my children's father; I have to go home for them."

"Jess and Harry are both old enough to be able to understand the truth," Rob countered, folding his arms.

"They may understand, but it doesn't mean that they'll accept it," Karen answered quietly. "I can't do that to them Rob," She started to tremble and he took off his jacket, wrapping it around her shoulders.

"Ssshh," He whispered, holding her close to him again. "It'll be okay, I promise."

"How?" Karen whispered brokenly. "Tell me how it's going to be okay! How will anything ever be okay again?"

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For all the talking in the world, it hadn't been enough to convince Karen that she couldn't go home to that.

"Promise me you'll call if anything happens tonight," Rob said anxiously, taking her hands in his. "I'm scared for you Karen."

Her eyes glimmered with unshed tears, and she blinked three times in quick succession. "Don't." She whispered sadly. "I'll be okay, it'll all be okay. You promised." She wasn't naïve enough to think his words could make a difference, and he knew it.

Rob watched her drive away, before getting into his own car and putting the key in the ignition. He didn't go anywhere though, instead sat there for the longest time, a faraway look in his eyes as the shouts and screams of his mother reverberated through the intervening years.


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note: ****Thank you to everyone that reviewed the first chapter. Your reviews make me smile. This chapter has driven me insane trying to write and I've changed it twice already, so I'll leave it as it is now. I'm not sure what I think of it. I wondered if it seemed like a pointless chapter, but the reason it's here is to show how much both Karen and Rob are struggling.**

**This story was going to be over in about 5 parts, however after doing some more plotting, I'm going to turn it into a full multi-chapter fic. **

**Hope you enjoy. Please read and hopefully leave a review.**

**-Leanne xx**

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**Half Alive**

**Part 2**

When Rob arrived at the school the next day he was surprised to find Karen's car already in the car park. It was still only early and usually she wouldn't have been there for at least another hour and a half. He parked his car beside hers, with the intention of going to find her. He made his way through the deserted corridors and stopped just outside her office. The door was slightly ajar and he could see the chink of light filtering through the crack. Tentatively he knocked on the door, leaving it a few minutes before gently pushing it open. It took him a moment to realise that Karen was fast asleep on her sofa, covered only with her coat. She looked so vulnerable, and it was all Rob could do not to go and hug her.

He sat on a chair not wanting to wake her yet; he doubted she was getting any sleep at all at home, and she looked exhausted. And so he sat there, watching the steady rise and fall of her chest, absent-mindedly scribbling on a scrap of paper from her desk. The sunlight began to filter through the blinds and still she didn't stir. Rob checked the clock and duly noted that the rest of the staff would start arriving in little over an hour. Getting off his chair he knelt down beside her. "Karen" he said softly. "You need to wake up now," he gave her shoulder a gentle nudge. She began to mutter in her sleep, and Rob gently stroked her back, "Come on Karen," he raised his voice slightly. "It's time to get up."

Under his touch Karen began to thrash around in her sleep, "No," she mumbled. "Stop it; I'm getting up… please don't hurt me Charlie." Rob froze and swallowed hard, stilling his motions, "Karen, its Rob," he said gently. "It's okay, you're at the school and you're safe."

Her eyes fluttered open and instantly filled with tears. "Rob?" She whispered. He looked down at her; Karen was unusually pale and tear tracks glittered on her cheeks.

"Hey," he replied gently. "It's okay Karen, I'm here now." Karen struggled to try and sit up, and Rob reached out to help her, silently giving her a once over to make sure she had no new injuries since last night.

"What time is it?" Karen sleepily rubbed her eyes, wincing as she put pressure on a bruise.

"Just after seven," Rob replied automatically. "I saw your car when I arrived, and I came to make sure you were okay. I thought I'd better wake you before anyone else arrives."

Karen nodded gratefully, "Thank you," she whispered, relieved that it was Rob that had found her and not anyone else. "I need to sort out my make-up." She straightened her clothes, pulling a toiletry bag from her handbag.

Rob nodded, "Right, well I'll leave you to it," he started, knowing she was embarrassed to have been found in this situation. He knew she felt uncomfortable around him and didn't want to make things worse. "Come down to my office when you're ready, there'll be a cup of tea waiting for you."

Karen tried to smile but it didn't quite reach her eyes. She thought about declining but since Rob was the only one who knew what was going on, she didn't need to hide from him anymore. "Thank you," she answered finally.

Rob left and Karen shut herself away in the office toilet; it wasn't much but it was better than having to use the one in the staff room and risk someone seeing her. At least here, it was private. She pulled out a flannel and soap from her bag and proceeded to freshen herself up after her sleep. As she ran the flannel over her face, the bruises became obvious once more against her pale complexion. With a shaking hand Karen carefully applied a fresh layer of make-up starting at her reflection in the mirror for the longest time.

When Karen made her way down to Rob's office the kettle had just boiled, and by now she was quite relieved at the idea. Members of staff were beginning to congregate in the staff room and Karen was worried about facing them for fear she'd give herself away.

Rob looked up at her as she walked in, handing her a steaming mug of coffee. "Get that down your neck," he said kindly. "I might even have a chocolate biccie stashed away."

A ghost of a smile flitted across her lips, "Thanks, but I'm really not all that hungry," Karen replied sadly, taking a mouthful of her drink. Rob took that moment to observe her closely and decided that she'd definitely lost weight recently, not that he could be surprised.

Feeling his eyes on her, Karen looked up. "Do I look okay?" She asked anxiously. "How's my face?"

"You look fine," Rob was quick to reassure her. He moved closer and pushed her hair back to examine the bruise. He could tell she wasn't wearing as much make-up today, and her injury appeared to have faded. "It's looking much better," he said quietly.

Karen forced a smile, and silence descended on them only broken by the occasional sip of their drinks. "What time were you here this morning?" Rob asked curiously; he had a feeling she must have been there a while, judging by the deep sleep she was in.

"Just after five," she answered, stifling a yawn. "I couldn't sleep," Karen fidgeted uncomfortably, which Rob didn't fail to notice.

"How were things when you got home last night?" He asked concerned. Karen's face whitened and she looked away from him, her eyes focusing on the contents of her cup. "Can we talk about this later please?" She almost whispered. "It's all I can do just to come in and do my job every day at the moment; I can't deal with anything else." She swallowed hard trying to remain composed because it had taken her a lot to admit that she was struggling. Not that she needed to with Rob, because he could see for himself how fragile she was, and it was hardly surprising given everything she was going through.

Rob nodded, knowing that he needed to have a proper conversation with her about it, but also knowing that he couldn't force her to talk. She'd only do it when she was ready. "You just take your time," he said easily. "I'll be here when you're ready to talk." He moved towards her as if he was going to give her a hug,

Karen shook her head and stepped away from him, feeling herself shiver involuntarily. "I need to go," she said abruptly. "I was hoping to have a word with Eleanor before class starts."

Rob pulled a face, "Rather you that me," he quipped, light-heartedly and the first proper smile he'd seen that day, crossed her face. "I'll see you later then." He watched her walk down the corridor, sighing as he heard her office door shut. He knew why she didn't feel comfortable around him, but he was just worried that it'd prevent her from being able to talk to him.

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Lunchtime came and Rob decided to go and check on her; he'd barely seen her that morning and knew she'd had an altercation with a parent. "Is Karen around?" He asked Janeece, who was sat their idly eating a muffin.

"She's in the office but if ya want to keep ya head, I wouldn't disturb her." The secretary replied.

"Thank you Janeece," Karen's voice floated out of her office and into the reception area.

'See,' Janeece mouthed at Rob. He gave her a quick grin before going through into Karen's office and shutting the door behind him. "I heard you've had quite a morning." Rob started, "I just thought I'd drop by and see how you're doing. I even brought you some lunch because I doubt you've brought any with you."

Karen had to smile, because he was right, "Thanks for the thought, but I'm not hungry. I'll eat it in a bit."

Rob frowned, "You weren't hungry this morning either," he pointed out, and Karen guiltily looked away. "I know it's hard but you need to eat Karen-"

"What do you know about how hard it is?" Karen snapped, instantly regretting the words as soon as they'd left her mouth. Rob didn't meet her eyes, instead trained his gaze on something outside the window.

"You're right," he said, "Maybe I don't know what it's like for you but it doesn't mean I don't have a clue." Although he knew it wasn't Karen's fault, her words – the entire situation – had touched a nerve… hit far too close to home and he couldn't stop himself from feeling angry.

"Rob, I'm sorry," Karen apologized, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. "I just-" She broke off, not knowing what she was even going to say next.

"I'll leave you alone for a while," He spoke quietly, knowing he needed to take himself out of the situation before he upset Karen further. He felt guilty for it but he didn't know how to be around her, without his emotions making him act in a way he'd later come to regret. "Make sure you try and eat something, and I'll see you later."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Note: **Thank you so much to everyone who has reviewed this, and my other WR stories. It really does mean a lot to me. I found this chapter quite difficult to write but I think it's one of the ones I am most proud of, so I hope you enjoy.

Please read, and continue to review. I love hearing from my readers.

Leanne xx

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**Disclaimer: **I don't own Waterloo Road, however sad that makes me having to admit that each time.

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**Part Three**

Karen had had a relatively quiet afternoon with nothing out of the ordinary happening, which in itself was extraordinary at Waterloo Road. Today was one of those days where she wished she did have something else to focus on because it would have prevented her from dwelling on her argument with Rob, if only for a short while.

After he had left she'd half heartedly pulled the lunch he'd left towards her, and surprised herself by managing both sandwiches and a piece of cake. Karen was both grateful and touched by his thoughtfulness, which in turn only made her feel more guilty for the way she'd spoken to him. He was only trying to help, and though her temper was closer than ever to fraying these days, it was no excuse. She was struggling enough as it was, without alienating the only person who knew what she was going through. Karen couldn't help but to keep remembering the haunted look which had seemed present in his expression earlier. She had a feeling she had barely scratched the surface with Rob, and although she'd turned around and said he had no idea how she felt, it seemed he had more idea than most.

Sighing, she pulled a folder towards her and began to review her year 12 and 13 predicted exam grades. However bad she was feeling in herself, she couldn't help but feel a surge of pride when she saw that Jess's were amongst the highest predicted, even though she'd had her problems. When she could no longer concentrate, she pushed the file away from her and stood up from her desk. It was just after 4:30 and she'd been hoping that Rob would come and see her after school finished. He hadn't, and Karen knew she needed to find him and make things right. The day was drawing to a close and her fears about going home for the night had resurfaced. Things at home had gradually started to escalate again and Charlie's behavior was getting more and more unpredictable. It had gotten to the point where she could never tell what he was going to do next.

She picked up her bag from the floor, and grabbed the file off the desk before shutting the door and locking it behind her. Karen turned to walk away and collided with Rob, promptly dropping the folder. Her papers scattered everywhere and flustered she bent down to pick them up, her hair falling across her face and hiding the tears that had formed.

"Here, let me help you," Rob said gently, kneeling on the floor beside her and starting to pick up her sheets.

"That's really not necessary," Karen started, wishing she could hold her tongue as she said – yet again today – the wrong thing. Rob handed her the pile of paper he'd picked up.

"Well in that case I'll leave you to it," he said neutrally, although inside his heart sank. He wanted to be able to help her, but if she wouldn't let him in there was nothing he could do. He turned and started to walk away.

Karen could feel her eyes starting to well up with tears; she knew she was pushing him away but she couldn't seem to stop herself. "Rob, wait!" She called after his retreating figure, summoning her courage. He turned around at the sound of her voice. "Rob, I'm so-" The words caught in her throat and her vision became blurred.

Rob watched her crumble in front of him, and swallowing the lump that had formed in his throat went and wrapped an arm around her, surprised when he met no resistance. "Come with me," he whispered quietly. "It's okay Karen."

She let him lead her to his office, tears rolling freely down her cheeks. She didn't have the energy to keep her emotions in check anymore. Rob held out a glass of water which she accepted gratefully with shaking hands. Taking a sip of the drink, and drawing breath at the same time caused her to choke, and Rob moved behind her, gently rubbing her back. Karen shakily exhaled, finding his presence comforting. "I'm sorry," she spoke once she'd regained full coherence. "I didn't mean what I said before. I don't want to push you away; I just can't seem to help it." She finished honestly. Rob didn't speak, and Karen didn't like the silence between them. "I ate my lunch in case you were wondering."

"That's good," He answered slowly, frustrated with himself because he couldn't seem to find the words he needed. "I'm sorry I had to walk away from you earlier." Rob said ashamedly, leaning against his desk. "I didn't want to but I was angry, and it wasn't fair of me to take it out on you."

"I don't blame you," Karen said, her voice hoarse from crying. "There comes a point where we all have to take a step back from things; and it's clear that this bothers you quite a lot."

Rob felt himself tense; his eyes narrowed and Karen could see the muscles in his face clench, "Of course it bothers me," he started bitterly. "I think any man who abuses his wife is scum."

"Is it personal?" Karen asked gently, knowing that it wasn't as clear cut as Rob tried to make it seem.

He broke eye contact with her, feeling them start to water. "Karen, trust me when I say today is neither the time nor the place to be having this conversation. I will tell you about it, but not tonight. I can't." He finished abruptly.

Karen nodded, "Okay," she said softly. "I'm sorry for prying." She put down her now empty glass on the side.

Rob shook his head, "Don't be," he answered in a would be casual tone of voice. An awkward lull in conversation descended over them, and despite what Rob told her, Karen felt like she had overstepped the mark. "Do you want to talk?"

Karen shook her head, but then nodded hesitantly. "I don't want to go home," she whispered. "He's getting worse." She stopped. "For a while I really thought that he'd changed but then Bex went missing and he started drinking heavily again. He'd come home blind drunk, we'd argue and he'd hit me." She spoke almost to herself. "Lately the littlest things have caused him to lose it."

"Did anything happen when you went home last night?" Rob asked cautiously. Karen looked down at the floor and he reached out to comfort her. She shied away from him, seemingly having put her defences back up. Not speaking, she lifted up her blouse to reveal a footprint shaped bruise. She then proceeded to roll up her sleeves and Rob was horrified to notice multiple burn marks, which he knew were the result of cigarettes.

"God Karen," Rob managed, "You can't keep letting him do this to you. You need to get out of there."

She finally looked up at him, "We've had this conversation already; you know why I have to," she replied bravely. "If I were to leave, Jess and Harry would wonder why. Charlie – he'd turn them against me, and I know I'd let him, because there's no way I could ever tell them what a monster their father is." He didn't know what to say to that because he knew Karen wouldn't budge when it came to her children. He just couldn't bear the idea of her putting herself in harm's way. How much longer could she cope with that? "I should be going," She said finally. "Charlie gets annoyed when I'm late."

"Call me if you need me, yeah?" Rob answered, subdued, and not trusting himself to say anymore than that.

Karen nodded, "I will do," she answered, even though she knew she probably wouldn't. How could she? "I'll see you tomorrow Rob," she hugged him briefly before leaving.

* * *

"I'm home!" Karen shouted as she stepped into the house. "Charlie? Jess? Harry?" She called when she received no answer. Hanging her coat in the hall cupboard, she walked through into the kitchen. Jess was sat at the table, headphones in as she attempted her homework. It was no surprise that she couldn't hear her, because Karen could hear her music as clearly as if it was being played out loud.

Karen walked over to her and gently pulled out her headphones. "Hey Mum," her daughter said, offering a smile. They'd been getting on a lot better lately, and she was glad.

"Where is everyone?" Karen asked, peering over her shoulder at the essay Jess was writing.

"Out," Jess answered absent mindedly, searching 'Frankenstein' for a suitable quote to use. "Harry's with his friends, and Dad went to the pub with people from work."

Karen nodded; relief spreading through her, although she was sure that she wouldn't still feel that way when Charlie rolled in drunk at God knows what hour. "Perhaps we could have a girly night," She found herself suggesting. "We could order a takeaway and watch a film…if you want to that is?" Karen was careful not to push too hard because that had been the cause of their problems the previous year.

Jess smiled, "That'd be great," she replied, surprising them both. It had been ages since they'd done anything, just the two of them, and Jess had allowed herself to forget how much she used to enjoy it. "I just have this conclusion to write, and I'll be done. Do you want to order the food?"

"Chinese or Indian?" Karen held up the menu, for her daughter to see. For the first time in a long time, she properly smiled at the prospect of being at home. Jess gave a non-committal shrug of the shoulders, as she continued to scribble furiously. "Chinese it is," Karen muttered going to use the phone.

* * *

The evening passed too quickly for Karen's liking; they'd watched two films, 'Dirty Dancing' and 'Sweeney Todd.' It was easy to see which one Jess had chosen. Harry had arrived home halfway through the second film and they'd all squashed together on one sofa to watch the ending. As the credits rolled, both Jess and Harry could barely keep their eyes open. "I think it's about time that you two went to bed," Karen said, sitting up and switching the DVD off. "You've still got one more day of school this week."

Jess nodded, trying to get up from the sofa but struggling as she'd been sat there for so long. "I've had a really good night," she admitted, wrapping Karen in a hug.

Her mum was touched by this, and she squeezed Jess tightly as she hugged her back. "Me too," she answered. "Let's not leave it as long next time, eh?" She felt her shake her head.

"Night Mum," Jess said sleepily, pausing at the sitting room door. "Love you!"

Jess rarely showed her affection, and Karen could feel herself starting to get all emotional. "Get out of here, before you make me cry." She teased. "I love you too Jess."

Harry rolled his eyes as his sister disappeared. "Someone pass me a bucket," he muttered, sitting up. Karen chuckled, going over to sit on the sofa beside him. "Do I get a hug from you too?" She asked, pleased when he wrapped his arms around her. She placed a kiss in his hair. "Night sweetheart." Harry pulled a face, and got up from where they were sat. "I'll see you tomorrow Mum."

Karen now sat in the semi-darkened room on her own. She glanced up at the clock; it was nearly eleven and Charlie still wasn't home, but she wasn't worried, like she would have been once. She'd had a lovely evening with her children, and it reminded her of what things used to be like, before Bex disappeared…

She was broken out of her thoughts by the door opening, and then slamming shut again. She heard Charlie taking off his coat in the hall, and her heart sank as he entered the room. "Hello darling," He slurred, and Karen could smell the alcohol on his breath.

She nervously attempted to smile. "Hi," she replied faintly. "Have you had a good night?" Karen forced herself to engage in conversation, and tried to suppress a shiver when he sat down on the sofa beside her.

"It's been great," he answered, placing his hand on her knee and frowning when she trembled involuntarily. She managed another weak smile, and tried not to gag as he leaned over to kiss her. His hand came up to touch her face, and for a moment Karen froze; she started to relax somewhat when he started to gently stroke her cheek. She winced as he touched the most recent bruise. "Oh Karen, I'm a terrible husband," he rambled. "Please forgive me."

"You should get some sleep," Karen bit her lip, changing the subject. He didn't hear her though. In his drunken state, he'd slumped across her lap and fallen asleep. With a relieved sigh, she lifted herself out from beneath him. He didn't stir, and she knew he wouldn't wake up any time soon. Pulling the throw off the smaller of the two sofas' she threw it over him and went out of the room. Shutting the door behind him, she left him to sleep off the alcohol and went up to bed herself, relieved that he wasn't there with her.


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note:**

**_Thank you for all your reviews guys. It makes me really happy to know you're enjoying reading, as much as I am writing. _**

**_Sorry I haven't updated lately; it's been a bit of a busy time and I've been ill. I've had this written for a few days now but I wasn't happy with it at the time, so I didn't upload. I've tweaked the ending a little and I like it much more now. _**

**_If you have any suggestions for things you'd like to see happening, feel free to drop me a PM, or leave it in a review. _**

**_Please read, and continue to review. Look out for updates to my other fics over the next couple of days! _**

**_Leanne xx_**

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**Disclaimer: ****I still don't own Waterloo Road.**

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**Part Four **

When Karen woke up the next morning it took her a minute to remember where Charlie was. She rolled over in bed and checked the clock, surprised to find that this was the best night's sleep she'd had in months. She pulled on her dressing gown and began to look for something to wear that day. There was a quiet knock on her bedroom door. "Come in," Karen called.

She heard the door creak open. "Morning Mum."

"Hi love," Karen's voice was muffled by the fact that her head was buried in the wardrobe.

"Hey," Jess said breezily from the doorway, dressed in a pink dressing gown and slippers. "I just wanted to ask if Vicki could stay tonight." She asked, giving her mum a hopeful grin.

"Have you asked your Dad?" Karen said, moving over to lay her clothes on the bed. Selfishly she didn't have a problem with letting her stay, because while there were people in the house, Charlie would behave impeccably. But then they always had to run everything past him.

Jess shook her head, "He's still asleep," She answered, rolling her eyes. "Please Mum."

Karen thought about it briefly. If they said no then Jess would probably go out anyway, and she'd have preferred to have them there rather than out in town until all hours. Jess had grown up a lot lately, and Karen thought she'd learned her lesson but it didn't mean she didn't worry. "Of course she can," She answered. "Is pizza and chips okay for tea tonight?" She turned around to look at her.

"That'd be–" Jess started but then stopped as she noticed the bruise on her mum's face. "What happened to your face?" She asked nonchalantly.

Karen flushed slightly pink, and Jess observed that she didn't meet her eyes as she answered. "Oh I caught it on the corner of the kitchen cupboard," She said lightly, reaching up to touch the bruise, accidentally lifting the sleeve of her dressing gown and slightly revealing the marks on her arm, something which Jess noticed, but didn't comment on. She just looked at her through narrowed eyes. "I need to get into the shower." Karen changed the subject, "Do you want a lift this morning?"

"Please," Jess forced a smile, "I'd better go and get dressed too." She disappeared out of the room and Karen sank down onto the bed, shaking violently. How could she have been so stupid? Although she was thankful she'd thought to put on her dressing gown because she'd have had a harder time explaining those injuries. Sighing, she picked up her towels from the cupboard next to the en-suite and disappeared inside, locking the door behind her.

* * *

Jess was sitting at the table eating breakfast when Karen came down from upstairs. She looked at her again and the bruise was barely visible under layers of make – up. If it was as innocent as her mum said it was, then why had she gone to so much trouble in order to hide it? "Is your Dad awake yet?" Karen asked casually, at the same time as pouring herself a bowl of cornflakes.

"Not yet," Jess answered, getting up and rinsing her cereal bowl, before putting it in the dishwasher. "That's some hangover he's going to have later." She fell silent, as if wanting to say something but not quite knowing how to start. "Mum, can we talk?" Jess managed finally, fidgeting slightly. She moved over and shut the kitchen door.

"Of course love," Karen peered at her worriedly. "What's the matter?" She gestured at her to come and sit down at the table.

Jess did so and looking directly into her eyes replied, "I don't want to talk about me; I want to talk about you." She said stubbornly, throwing caution to the winds. Karen froze; her spoonful of cereal halfway to her mouth. "Is it Dad? Did he do that to you?" She gently touched her cheek, where she knew the bruise was.

"Leave it Jess, please!" Karen knew that not telling her was tantamount to admitting the truth but she didn't have the words to tell her what a monster her father really was. Just as she'd confessed to Rob, that she couldn't. "It's nothing really." She met Jess' eyes, wincing at the steely glare in them. "Look," She started again, changing tack. "Marriage is a complicated thing… and this family has been through a lot over the last couple of years…"

"Don't patronize me," Jess said angrily, her eyes filling with tears. "I'm not a little kid Mum!"

Guiltily, Karen found herself unable to look at her. "No you're not!" She agreed her voice barely audible, as she hesitated whether or not she could confide in her daughter. A battle of wills was taking place; on one hand she wanted nothing more than to be able to admit the truth because she was tired of living a lie but on the other, she knew she couldn't burden Jess with the truth. She was her mother. She was supposed to be able to protect her. "But it's really nothing you need to worry about." The latter voice won out, and she forced herself to look up, "We just had a little difference in opinion."

"That resulted in you getting a fist in your face," Jess shot back, running a frustrated hand through her hair. She couldn't understand why she was protecting him.

"Please Jess; I don't have time for this. Not now." There was a pleading note in Karen's voice as she begged her to let the matter rest.

With a resigned sigh, Jess stood up. It was clear who she'd inherited her stubbornness from, and in this instance it wasn't a good trait. Karen had as good as admitted it, and Jess was willing to bet that it went further than that. The atmosphere in the house had been tense for months, and both she and Harry had been waiting for their parents to announce they were getting divorced. Now Jess wished they would.

"When then?" She stated flatly, still unwilling to let it go. "When are you going to face up to what he's done to you and deal with it?"

"I don't know, okay Jess?" Karen said sharply, silently willing herself not to break down.

Her daughter coloured slightly at the sharp manner in which she was addressed. "Fine," I'm off to finish getting ready." She spoke with an unnerving return to her usual tone of voice. She disappeared out of the room, letting the door shut with a louder than necessary bang.

Karen looked down at the table, tears swimming in her eyes and beginning to clog her throat, and her breakfast threatening to make a reappearance. Mindlessly pushing her spoon around the remainder of food in the bowl, she stood up and emptied its contents into the bin. She'd completely lost her appetite.

* * *

The drive to school seemed to take an eternity that morning. Harry was running late and wasn't ready to leave when Karen did so it was just she and Jess in the car. They were both silent – their argument from earlier lingering overhead like a dark cloud – but Karen couldn't miss the occasional sideways glance that Jess sent her when she thought she wasn't looking. She couldn't miss it anymore than she'd been able to miss the fact that Jess was closely observing the the stilted conversation taking place between her and Charlie when he finally awoke. It had made her feel distinctly on edge. "Do you want a lift tonight?" Karen finally broke the silence between them, as they pulled up at a set of traffic lights.

Jess shook her head, her attention concentrated on her mobile phone, "I think we're okay to walk," She said, tapping away at the keypad. "We'll probably go into town for a little while first."

"Give me a call when you're on your way back then, and I'll have tea on ready for you." Karen said, with an almost inaudible sigh. She hated the tension that was between them now, and couldn't help but to blame Charlie for that as well.

"Thanks Mum," Jess said awkwardly, glancing out of the window so she didn't have to look at her. She had no idea what to say to her now, because they both knew there was more to the situation than met the eye and Jess couldn't believe she was refusing to do anything about it.

They pulled up at the school gates and Jess opened the car door. "Jess–" Karen started, over the sound of the engine humming. Her daughter turned to her expectantly. "I'm sorry." The words sounded stupidly insignificant to both of their ears, but she didn't know what else she could say. "Have a good day," She finished finally.

Jess just shrugged, climbing out of the vehicle and slinging her bag over one shoulder. "See you later," She muttered quietly to no one in particular, watching as her mum drove around to the car park.

Karen sighed as she reversed the car into her usual parking space. Her relationship with Jess had really improved since the previous year, and the last thing she wanted was for that to change. Her daughter wasn't stupid, by any definition of the word and Karen knew that she could see the situation for what it really was. It made her feel so guilty, and ashamed for not having the strength to do anything about it.

A car pulled into the space beside her and she realised she'd just been sat there, lost in thought. Tom knocked lightly on the window, and plastering a smile on her face, she wound it down to speak to him. "I know the feeling," He started. Karen looked up at him, confused. "I often sit here of a morning, trying to work up the enthusiasm to go in there." He jerked his head towards the building. "Come on, you have it easy!" He joked.

Karen managed a genuine smile, "You should try doing my job some day," She bantered back. "It's not all sitting around in an office." She shut the window, and got out of the ca, reaching for her things.

"Do you want a hand with those?" Tom offered, not waiting for her to reply before he took the pile of files, she'd just retrieved from the car, out of her arms.

She looked at him gratefully, pulling her bag off the seat and locking the car behind her.

"Thanks Tom."

* * *

When Karen made her way up to her office after a detour to the staff room, she was surprised to find Janeece already at her desk. "Morning Mrs Fisher," She commented, looking up from her computer screen, and quickly minimizing an internet window, which her boss pretended not to notice.

Karen afforded her a brief smile, dropping two manila folders onto her desk. "These are the results of last month's inspection. They need typing up and sending out to the parents."

"I'm on it," Janeece replied efficiently, opening up a blank document. "Oh, and Mr Fisher's in the office, waiting for you." She added, as Karen turned to leave.

Karen felt a shiver run down her spine, and a sudden chill ran throughout her body. "Thank you Janeece," She replied steeling herself for the next few minutes. "Would you mind nipping to get me a coffee before you start?"

Her legs felt like lead, and she struggled to coordinate them enough in order to be able to walk into her office. Arms full, she leaned against the door, pushing it open. Sure enough, Charlie was sat there on her sofa, an empty mug in his grasp. "You left in a bit of a hurry this morning." He said by way of greeting.

"Charlie? What are you doing here?" She tried to inject a positive note into her voice, dumping her coat and bag on a chair, and her work on the desk. He just looked at her. "I was running late," She explained, lamely.

Her husband smiled at her standing up from the sofa, and she had to fight not to move away from him, as he lightly kissed her on the cheek. "The agency phoned, said you needed some cover… so here I am."

Karen busied herself with arranging the files she'd just brought in from the car. "That's news to me," She answered, trying not to show that that it affected her. Fear clutched her heart; work was the only place where she could put everything that happened when she was at home into boxes. Waterloo Road was her domain. It was her name above the door and for the ten hours a day she was there, Karen was in control.

"Do you have a problem with it?" His voice remained calm, but she could detect the underlying threat there. She couldn't even be reassured by the fact that they were in school and he wouldn't try anything, because his behaviour had been so unpredictable lately there was no telling.

"Of course not," Karen managed, her throat dry as she panicked. "I just expected you to be feeling a little worse for wear this morning." Charlie opened his mouth to speak, but was interrupted by the office door swinging open.

"'Ere get that down your neck; you look like you could use it." Janeece commented, with her usual brutal honesty, placing the steaming mug of liquid in front of her.

Karen mustered a rueful smile; for once she was grateful for her timely intervention. "Thanks Janeece," She said sincerely, taking a large mouthful of the drink. She could feel the beginnings of a headache brewing and gently began to massage her temples. It was going to be one hell of a day.

* * *

**Your thoughts?**


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note:**

_**Hey guys!**_

_**Thank you so much for all your reviews; you don't know how much they mean to me.**_

_**Because I seem to be in a thoroughly depressing mindset currently, and only seem able to write the darker stories, here's another update for you all. **_

_**Enjoy. Read. Review.**_

_**Leanne xx**_

* * *

_**WARNING: This chapter comes with a warning of mild violence, so please proceed with caution if you feel this may affect you!**_

* * *

**Disclaimer: _Nope, still don't own Waterloo Road. _**

* * *

**Half Alive**

**Part Five **

It had been a surprisingly busy morning and after four tablets and numerous cups of tea Karen's headache had started to subside. She'd dealt with two instances of bullying and confiscated what appeared to illegal drugs. It was now nearly lunchtime and she hadn't seen either Charlie or Rob; the former the cause of great relief.

"Knock knock!" She tried not to grimace as her husband's head appeared around the office door. Janeece had gone on her lunch break some ten minutes previously so it meant that people were just free to knock on Karen's door.

"Hi," Karen started apprehensively; finishing the sentence she was writing and putting her pen down. "How's your morning been?"

Charlie came in shutting the door behind him, and Karen tried to disguise her mounting fear. "So – so," He commented off handedly. "You know what year nine can be like." He didn't offer anymore explanation than that so Karen nodded dutifully. "I thought we could have lunch together." He held up a brown paper bag that Karen knew had come from the café down the road.

"It's a lovely thought," Karen said with a half-hearted attempt at a smile. "I'm just really busy today Charlie," She gestured to the pile of papers spread across her desk.

"Surely you've got time for a quick bite to eat," He said silkily. "I had it made especially for you after all." Charlie passed the bag across the desk to her and, feeling his eyes on her, Karen tore the label sealing the bag, hoping he wouldn't notice her trembling fingers. Mayo chicken and bacon on seeded white bread. It used to be on of her favourite sandwiches bit today she could only toy miserably with it, watching warily as Charlie began to eat his own lunch.

"I saw Jess on my way up here!" He commented through a mouthful of tuna and cucumber.

Karen immediately thought back to the conversation she and their daughter had engaged in that morning, and wondered if he could possibly know. "Oh-" She started, trying to keep her tone neutral. "Was she okay?"

Charlie swallowed, removing the lid of his take-away cup of coffee and stirring it with a plastic spoon. "She wasn't exactly what you'd call conversational."

"So about normal for her then," Karen forced a smile as she attempted to pass off Jess's behaviour. "It's just a phase she's going through, I expect." Truthfully her attitude and behaviour was better than it had been in a long time but Charlie rarely saw that side to her. He always seemed to rub her up the wrong way at the best of times, and especially now with what she thought she knew, she was hardly going to be very receptive to his presence.

"That'll be it," Charlie agreed, although his eyes narrowed and he looked at her suspiciously. Karen tried to meet his gaze but quailed under his ferocious glare. "She seems to be under the impression that you've said Vicki MacDonald can stay over tonight." Silence briefly followed his words, and she could tell that he'd reached the point of their lunch together. He leaned closer towards her and she tried not to shy away from him. "I said she must have got her wires crossed, because I don't recall it being run past me."

Karen swallowed convulsively and defiantly raised her head so she was finally looking him directly in the eye. "No she's right," She said, feeling a sudden strength from somewhere within to challenge Charlie on the matter. "I gave Jess permission to ask her." She was instantly ashamed at how weak her voice sounded, and mentally reprimanded herself for it. She stood up, trying to make herself appear more significant but when he followed suit – a smirk firmly in place – the height difference was now more impressive.

"Oh did you now?" Charlie asked advancing towards her. "Well you'll just have to tell Jess to uninvite her then because I don't recall you asking me."

"Perhaps I could have asked you this morning if you weren't still sleeping off a night out drinking." Karen said bravely, amazed at her own boldness. She knew she'd pay dearly for her moment of courage later, but tired of being downtrodden; her mouth seemed to have overtaken her brain. There was a time and a place for getting a smart mouth though, and this certainly wasn't it. "Vicki can stay tonight."

Charlie laughed humorlessly, "What have I told you, eh Karen?" He began patronizingly. "Don't play games with me." His voice was gruff, as he caught her wrist in a vice like grip as she made to move away from him.

Karen bit down on her lip to stop tears spilling down over her cheeks as he twisted her arm behind her back. "No, because playing games is what you do isn't it?" She managed, letting out a gasp when her back collided with the desk.

"I always win," Charlie hissed in her ear, his face contorting with rage, twisting her arm further and causing her to let out a whimper of discomfort.

There was a knock at the office door and Charlie froze, giving Karen enough time to wrench herself out of his grasp, and yank her sleeve down over her arm. "No Charlie," She said, colour flooding back to her cheeks. "You don't." Not meeting his gaze, she turned to answer the door, to find Rob standing in the doorway.

As much as she'd wanted to see him earlier, Karen couldn't help but to think he'd picked the worse possible time. Standing up to Charlie had completely shaken her… not to mention he was still stood there, watching intently as she addressed Rob. "Rob, hi," She started awkwardly, "Come in."

Rob frowned at her demeanor. She looked thoroughly rattled and as though she was about to burst into tears at any given second. "I can come back later if now isn't a convenient time," He said looking between her and Charlie, having no idea who he was.

"No it's fine," Karen said, trying to inject a slightly more assertive note into her voice. She could feel Charlie's eyes boring holes into the back of her head and turned to him, a fake smile on her lips. "Charlie this is Rob Scotcher, my site manager." She introduced him before turning back to Rob who was still stood rooted in the doorway, perturbed by the atmosphere that lingered in the room.

Karen could tell as she said the words that further introduction would be quite unnecessary; the hard look that crossed Rob's face making her acutely aware that he now knew exactly who this was. Charlie however was looking at her expectantly, so she was left with little choice.

"Rob, meet Charlie my h-husband." The words caught in Karen's throat and caused the site manager to feel a sense of utter revulsion, especially as Charlie held out a hand for him to shake.

Karen's eyes silently pleaded with him not to make a scene and she shook her head almost imperceptibly, before training her eyes on the wall she'd previously been staring at. Rob's eyes locked on Charlie's as he gripped his hand in a firm handshake, the muscle in his jaw twitching furiously as he struggled to contain his anger. "Site manager? Isn't that just a posh name for school caretaker?" Charlie asked flippantly.

"And what is it you do Charlie?" Rob asked, biting down on his lip to prevent a cutting retort, but still being unable to keep the scorn out of his voice as he spoke.

"Charlie works in teaching," Karen answered quickly, "He used to work full time but wanted to spend more time at home with the family." Only Rob was perceptive enough to notice the double meaning behind her words. "Now he does mostly cover work."

Charlie thrust his hands deep into his pockets, "Yes well, I'd better get back. I have year eleven this afternoon." He said, leaning down to kiss Karen on the cheek, and glaring at her vindictively when she flinched away from him because he realised this hadn't gone unnoticed by Rob. "I'll see you tonight at home." To anyone else his words would purely have been valediction between a husband and wife, but Rob who was listening intently picked upon the malice lacing his tone and felt Karen tremble beside him.

Without taking a second glance at Rob, Charlie strode from the office. Rob closed the door behind him as Karen sank down onto a chair, shaking violently and clutching her desk for support.


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note:**

_Thank you for all your reviews guys. _

_And thanks to Emily (pussycatwithattitude) for proof reading this for me. If you haven't already guys, you should check out her Rob/Karen fic 'Flesh Not Stone' because it is amazing ^_^_

_Hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Please read and review :)_

_Leanne xx_

* * *

**Disclaimer: **_I don't own Waterloo Road (: _

* * *

**Part Six**

"What the –" Rob swore loudly, shaking with the effort it took to control his anger. For a minute it seemed he wasn't aware of Karen's presence as he paced the floor, engaged in a battle with memories he'd fought to repress for so long. His body was rigid, and his hands had involuntarily balled into fists, as he struggled to stop himself going after Charlie.

"Rob," Karen spoke quietly, feeling a chill run down her spine at the unmistakable rage, lining his features. His demeanour was as far from that of the mild mannered janitor she knew, and it scared her. He ignored her and continued pacing, "I could bloody kill him for what he's done to you!"

"Rob, please- getting angry doesn't solve anything; it's as good as stooping to his level." Her soft Irish lilt seemed to calm him, and he stopped walking, breathing heavily. The haunted look disappeared from his expression, being replaced with one of cold fury. Karen wasn't sure which one she hated to see more. "You need to calm down."

Heavily, Rob went and sat down on the edge of the sofa, his head resting in his hands. "I'm sorry you had to witness that," Karen continued apologetically into the silence. "Me and Charlie," She added awkwardly, more to fill the silence than anything as there wasn't any doubt as to what she was referring to.

He finally looked up at her, "It's not your fault," He answered hollowly, bringing tears to her eyes. "Don't you ever apologise, for anything; none of what's that – that animal has done to you is your fault." She turned away from him guiltily, unable to bear the understanding in his expression when all she wanted was to contradict him. To tell him that everything was entirely her fault. She'd unintentionally wound Charlie up, practically forced him to lose his temper with her… "He's exactly what I expected him to be like." Rob continued, drawing her mind back to the conversation at hand. Karen looked at him curiously so he explained, "You know? Big, burly –"

"Handy with his fists," Karen interrupted wryly. "You may not believe me but he wasn't always like this," She wasn't sure why she was defending him, and wasn't even altogether convinced of that herself anymore. But Rob seemed to understand.

"I do believe you," He assured her, "People change Karen, sometimes for the better but sometimes for the worse. Sometimes it becomes impossible to recognise the person they were for who they've become." She couldn't deny that he was right; because things with Charlie had escalated so much that she couldn't remember there ever being good times.

"I can remember the first time he ever hit me," Karen admitted. It seemed like a bit of a random tangent for the conversation to go in, but Rob let it slide because he knew it meant she was opening up to him. "It would have been about a year after we got married, Charlie was staying later at work and going out every other night. There was this woman who kept leaving messages for him, I accused him of having an affair, and he slapped me."

Her eyes misted over at the memory of her naïve younger self. "Do you know what the silliest thing is?" She asked Rob. He shook his head, knowing she was about to tell him anyway. "I always said that I'd never stay with anyone who didn't respect me. Looking back on it, I can't believe it came down to this." She finished, lines of anguish etched on her face. "He just – he seemed so shocked at what he'd done. He seemed sorry." The last three words came out barely more than a whisper.

"It's not your fault," Rob said automatically, reaching out to comfort her. Karen pulled away from him. "Do you want to talk about what happened before I came in?" He asked gently. "Did he hurt you?"

Wincing Karen rolled back her sleeve to examine the damage, revealing a new set of marks on her arm. "It could have been worse," She said bravely, and Rob didn't know which was worse: the matter of fact tone in which she said it, or that her words were the truth. "I gave Jess permission for Vicki to stay tonight," She explained. "Usually it's Charlie who makes all the decisions in our house."

"Ah," Rob started, "I can see why that might have been slightly problematic," The corners of his lips turned up a fraction, even though there was nothing remotely funny about the situation. Karen gave him a tight smile in return, trying to hold back the tears that constantly threatened her vision. "What are you going to do tonight?" He asked when she didn't speak.

Rob didn't say so, but Karen knew by the fact that he'd even asked the question that he'd picked up on Charlie's closing threat. "The same as usual," She said casually not meeting his eyes, and continuing before he could speak. "Charlie's not stupid; he knows it's more than his life's worth to try anything while Vicki's there." She waited for the barrage of objections that were sure to come.

"What about tomorrow night?" Rob continued to press her, because he knew he couldn't take no for an answer anymore. Something needed to be done about the situation and if she wasn't ready to do anything about it, he'd have to.

"Hopefully by then he'll have calmed down," Karen replied, moving over to her desk and shuffling the papers there so she wasn't looking at him.

"You can't rely on chance!" Rob said exasperatedly, "Before today I bet you wouldn't have expected him to corner you in school." He leaned forward and gently tilted her head up, forcing her to look at him and seeing he'd hit the nail on the head. "Karen you need to start thinking of yourself.

Karen felt herself becoming choked up at his concern. "Rob we've had this discussion too many times to count –"

"So you'd have thought you'd started listening to me by now," He said unusually seriously. "I knew a man like him once; the slightest thing would tip him over the edge. Charlie's already angry, who knows what he'll do next?"

Karen knew as well as Rob did that he was right, and if she looked at him he'd see that. "It's you who isn't listening to me," She said stubbornly, her words masking a multitude of emotions.

Rob wasn't fooled. He could see the fear behind her eyes as she thought of the prospect of going home, but every time he proposed a solution the brick wall came back up and it frustrated him because he had no idea how to break it down again.

"Then take this," He fumbled for a second with a key ring before managing to get one of the keys off. He placed it in the palm of her hand, and she looked at him in confusion. He put the keys away in his pocket before explaining. "This is my spare front door key." She still didn't seem sure so he continued to speak, "I want you to know that I'm there if you need me… that there's always somewhere you can go if things get too much for you."

"I can't," Karen answered quietly, tears glistening in her eyes at the extent of his kindness. "It wouldn't be right – what about Aiden?"

Rob sighed, not expecting her to concede without an argument. "Yes you can," He said gently, propelling her to sit on the sofa before joining her. "You need to know you always have a way out when you're ready to take it." It seemed that he knew without her even having to say anything. "And it's for my peace of mind as much as your safety." He added, realising that as he spoke that it was the truth; he couldn't bear the thought of anything happening to her, especially if he'd known and done nothing. "As for Aiden, that's not your problem." Rob finished.

"I shouldn't be your problem," Karen pointed out, embarrassedly training her eyes on the floor. "I'm –"

Rob cut her off before she could finish speaking, "If the next word that comes out of your mouth is sorry, then don't bother." He said, a hint of a smile in his words. Karen blushed at his assumption, but she didn't say anything. "I want to help you Karen. You don't have to do it on your own anymore." She still didn't look convinced. "This has happened before," He said quietly, swallowing the lump that had begun to form in his throat. Karen opened her mouth to speak but he knew if he let her, he wouldn't be able to continue talking. "I can't tell you about it at the moment; I just need you to understand…" He implored. She nodded silently. "I couldn't do anything about it before, but this time I can."

Karen's mouth dropped open slightly, and for a minute she just stared at him. He didn't break her gaze, and she pretended not to notice the wetness around his eyes, silently putting his house key in her pocket.

* * *

Rob didn't go straight home that night. With a heavy heart he drove to a little village just outside of Rochdale, parked his car by the duck pond and walked ten minutes down the lane until he came to a small church. He'd never been remotely religious before but oddly enough it seemed like the most appropriate place to be.

His parents had married in that church. He'd been baptized there, and his mother had been buried in the cemetery that lay in the fields beyond. Rob made his way to the front of the church where there was hundreds of flickering tea lights. He knelt down and carefully lit two, watching for the longest time as the wax melted. His cheeks were damp from the tears he couldn't prevent from falling.

Standing back up and exiting through a side door, he fought his way through the overgrown trees, through a rotting wooden gate which led him into the small cemetery. Through the rows of grey headstones he came to a standstill in front of one made out black marble.

_**In loving memory of**_

_**Eleanor-May Scotcher**_

_**21**__**st**__** January 1942 – 8**__**th**__** June 1976**_

_**Aged 32 **_

'_**A beloved wife, a loving mother and a much loved daughter**_

_**Sadly missed always.'**_

"Hello Mum," Rob said quietly, bending down and beginning to take the dead leaves off the flowers, trying to ignore the overwhelming anger bubbling so close to the surface.


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note:**

_I'm quite overwhelmed by the response I've had for this fic so far. Thank you so much for all your positive comments. Obviously it's a sensitive subject to tackle, so it makes me feel much better to know I'm not making a complete hash up of it. _

_Sorry about the wait for this chapter. I've been away for a few days and only just got back today. _

**_This chapter comes with a warning. The first half of this does contain violence, it upset me when writing it and may be emotionally triggering to some of readers. So please proceed with caution._**

_Please read, and continue to review!_

_Leanne__ xx_

* * *

**Disclaimer:** **_I still don't own Waterloo Road, because if I did I wouldn't be writing fanfiction_**

* * *

**Part Seven **

When Karen arrived home that night, Jess and Vicki were both sat around the kitchen table drinking hot chocolate and giggling over something Vicki had just said. It was a relief to see a smile back on her face, because the couple of times she'd seen her around school today, the desolate look in her eyes could have made her weep. "Hey Mum," Her daughter grinned, and Karen was relieved that things seemed to have gone back to normal between them as well.

"Hello love," Karen moved around the table, and dropped a kiss on the top of Jess's head, smiling when her daughter grimaced at the display of affection. "It's nice to see you Vicki," She turned to address the other teenager.

"You too Mrs Fisher, thanks for having me for tea," Vicki said politely, with a smile at her headmistress.

Karen shook her head, "It's not a problem," She assured her, though in the back of her mind she was thinking of Charlie and how he'd react to coming home and finding their daughter's friend there. "Where's your Dad?" She asked Jess, flicking the switch on the kettle, and reaching for a mug from the cupboard. It seemed to be quite a familiar sequence of events these days.

Jess shrugged, "He just said he was going out, told me to tell you not to do him any tea," She answered, a slight renitence in her tone and something far too knowing in her expression.

Karen turned away from her, pouring hot water into her cup, her hands shaking slightly. "Right," She replied awkwardly, wary of the change that came over Jess whenever she mentioned her Dad. "Are you two hungry? I'll put tea on now if you are."

"Starving," Vicki confirmed, filling the silence that lingered whilst looking curiously between her best friend and headteacher. "Jess?" She shot her an unfathomable look, and finally Jess spoke.

"Yeah, whatever!" She replied moodily, not looking at either of them and getting up from the table. "I'm going upstairs, you coming Vick?" Jess emptied the remains of her drink down the sink and disappeared out of the room. Vicki shot Karen an apologetic look, before following after her friend, determined to get to the bottom of what was making her so unpredictable.

* * *

Charlie didn't come home that night, or during the day on Sunday either. Whether it was because he didn't know what time Vicki was leaving, or because he was shacked up with some tart, Karen didn't know nor care.

He finally let himself into the house at half past two on the Monday morning. Karen heard the door quietly shut behind him, and his feet on the stairs. The alarm clock by her bed illuminated her face, and she quickly closed her eyes and pretended to be asleep as her husband entered the room, casting a shadow over the bed.

Charlie paced around for a few minutes as he undressed, stopping around his wife's side of the bed, and crouching down beside her, no doubt checking if she was still awake. "Karen?" There was a faint note of anger in his voice, and she could smell the alcohol on his breath, mingled with the scent of a sickly sweet perfume. She had to fight not to scrunch her face up in distaste, because that would surely give the game away. Charlie watched the steady rise and fall of her chest, and seeming satisfied that she was asleep, climbed into his side of the bed, and turned his back on her.

Karen screwed her eyes shut tighter, as if by doing that it would make everything go away. Tears rolled uncontrollably down her cheeks and left a salty taste in her mouth as she struggled to keep herself from shaking. Rolling onto her front, she buried her face in the pillow, and drifted into an disturbed sleep, subconsciously dreading the coming morning.

* * *

Karen turned over onto her back, bringing up a hand to shield her eyes from the bright sunlight that invaded the room and assaulted her vision. Charlie pulled back the bedroom curtains, and she knew he'd done it on purpose to wake her up. "Morning," She said cautiously, struggling to sit up.

"I made you a cup of coffee," Her husband said in response, not turning to look at her until he passed the drink across the bed. Karen tried to smile, but it was lost on him as he eyed her intently, like a predator would his pray. She couldn't bear the expression on his face and began tracing the intricate pattern on the duvet cover. "I thought I told you to tell Vicki not to come this weekend," Charlie commented, his tone was unnervingly light but Karen wasn't fooled for a second. "So you can imagine my surprise when I came home to find her and Jess in the kitchen together." Karen didn't speak for a minute, her eyes darting around the room, and her hands clutching the cup she was holding onto for dear life. "I'm waiting for you to explain yourself."

Charlie's voice dropped an entire octave, and she still didn't trust herself to look at him as she answered. "I didn't know what to tell her," Karen replied weakly, keeping her head down. "What was I supposed to say?"

"That's not my problem!" She shied away from him as he raised both his voice and his left hand to strike her. She closed her eyes, inevitably waiting for him to make contact with her face. But it never came and half opening one eye she thought he'd changed his mind until she felt herself shoved to one side. The cup slipped out of her grasp and smashed; its contents scalding her bare leg, and the jagged ceramic edge digging into the palm of her hand.

He fished spoon out of his own cup of coffee deliberately pressing it against her arm, and she let out a gasp of pain as the hot metal made contact with her skin. Moving it away, Karen noticed the appearance of an angry red welt, but she had no time to dwell on this, feeling the same pain again just on the back of her hand. "You undermined my authority," He hissed, forcing her to look at him. "Now you have to be punished for that."

Karen's eyes filled with tears, her heart pounding with terror at the malice in the eyes of the man who was supposed to love and protect her. Not be the cause of all her pain. "Charlie please –" She pleaded, her words falling on deaf ears, as he let the spoon drop to the floor, reaching out and grabbing his wife around the wrist and dragging her up off the bed.

"_Charlie, please," _He mimicked her tone, his hands coming up and yanking on her hair as he forced her up against the wardrobe door, its handle digging painfully into her back.

Jess woke up early that morning, and was quite content to lay there in bed for another quarter of an hour before getting ready for school. As she lay there, she realised she couldn't hear the familiar sounds of her mum clattering around the kitchen, or the water running in the bathroom. Pulling on her dressing gown, she thought she'd better check that she hadn't overslept. She was about to knock on her parents bedroom door, when what sounded like a whip cracking stopped her. Quietly, she opened the door a fraction, freezing as it creaked slightly. Jess had to stifle her gasp at the scene that met her eyes. Her parents were stood against the far wall of the room, but her Dad had her mum pinned up against the wall. The weight of his body was pressed against her so she couldn't move, and one hand tightened around her neck. Jess couldn't help the agonizing moan that left her lips but she couldn't be heard over her mother gasping for breath as she struggled to free herself from his grip.

Tears clouded her eyes, as she heard another slap reverberate throughout the room and her mouth dropped open in silent horror as he moved just enough for her to see a shining cut on her mum's cheek, Jess knew, where his ring had caught her. Revulsion rose in her like vomit, and she had to grab hold of the stair banister for support. Even though she'd suspected it since seeing the bruises, there was a difference between suspecting and actually knowing the truth. When she didn't know for sure, it was easy to think up other ways in which she could have sustained her injuries, but now there was no denying it.

"I told you before, I always win." He hissed loudly, his hand falling away from her throat. Their daughter was truly frightened now as Karen let out a loud yelp of pain and when he moved Jess could see her mum crouched in the corner of the room, crying quietly, a streak of blood now dripping steadily down her cheek.

She was forced to duck quickly into the bathroom next door, as her parents bedroom door opened, and she watched him storm out of the room, heard his heavy footsteps on the stairs, and the front door slamming shut. Jess wiped the tears from her face and waited a few more seconds until she was sure it was okay to come out, before going to her mum's room and pressing down on the door handle. It didn't budge, and Jess knew she'd locked herself in.

* * *

School that day seemed to drag on forever. Jess had left the house before Karen even came down the stairs, both terrified because she didn't think she could handle seeing her like and helpless because she'd just stood there and let him hurt her.

Jess earned herself a telling off in science because her work wasn't up to scratch, and she exhaled nervously as she was kept behind and interrogated. She forced herself to meet her teacher's eyes and eventually he was forced to concede she was just having a bad day. The second lesson of the day was English, and as the bell went for break, she realised she hadn't listened to a word. Thankfully it seemed to go unnoticed though and she escaped without a lecture.

At break and lunch she sat by herself outside, convincing her friends that she wasn't feeling well. She tried to force down her lunch but didn't manage anymore than half a sandwich and a handful of crisps. Just two more lessons to go, and then she didn't have to convince anyone else she was fine. She didn't have to endure their curious glances and concerned looks. But instead she had to go home and face up to what was happening. She didn't know which one was worse.

* * *

"Domestic violence," Jess could feel herself shiver involuntarily as the title of their afternoon lesson was read out. As part of their PSHE curriculum it was one of the topics they had to study and the school had gotten in a guest speaker for their first lesson. "Studies conducted show that approximately one in four females are a victim of patriarchal violence." Her arms folded across her chest and she tried to let the teacher's words go over her head, but she was unable to get the image of her own father… that monster pinning her mum against the wall. "This is only calculated through the use of official statistics however, and other sources suggest that 54% of abuse cases go unreported." Awash with horror Jess could feel her eyes beginning to well up and bile rising in her throat. She raised a shaking hand and asked for permission to go to the toilet. The teacher quickly granted it, her eyes widening as she looked at her, trembling and looking as though she was about to faint.

Jess only just made it to the toilets before hurtling into a cubicle and being violently sick. Her throat burned and she threw up again, continuing to retch until there was nothing left to expel. Exhausted she dragged herself up from the floor, and went over to the sinks, catching sight of herself in the mirror. Her hair was a mess; she had make up smeared across her face and tear tracks glittered on her cheeks. She took several steadying breaths, splashing cold water over her face in an attempt to make herself feel better. Jess straightened up to examine her reflection again after reapplying her foundation and eyeliner. Satisfied that any evidence she'd been crying was gone, and that she looked more presentable, she slung her bag over her shoulder and pushed open the toilet door.

As she drew closer to the classroom, she could feel the dread returning and her legs starting to shake. Jess leaned against the wall for support, closing her eyes momentarily as she fought the urge to vomit again. "Jess?" When she opened them at the sound of a voice, she was startled to see Rob standing in front of her, a concerned expression on his face. "Jess, are you okay?"

Jess tried to pretend that it was nothing, but the words _'I'm fine' _became lodged in her throat. The pressure of keeping everything bottled up for so long became too much for her and a tear rolled down her cheek, followed by another before the floodgates opened properly.

"Do you want me to go and fetch your mum?" Rob asked worriedly, shocked at the worked up state in which he'd found her in.

Jess shook her head fiercely at his words, "No you can't!" She begged, the words tripping off her tongue and falling over themselves in her haste to make him understand. "She can't know!" Rob frowned at the vehemence in her tone of voice, unsure of what to do next. He was only the site manager at the end of the day. Jess should really be referred to pastoral care but he knew she'd object to that, and what with their home situation, Karen could really do without the additional stress – not least if it was about that, he couldn't let it become public knowledge. But he couldn't just leave her there.

"Okay, why don't you come with me then?" He said gently, "We can have a chat if you want to, or you can just sit in my office until you're ready to go back to class."


	8. Chapter 8

**_Author Note:_**

_Hey guys! Thank you so much for all the lovely reviews - I appreciate them so much. Thank you also, especially to my newest reviewer Hailey who's in depth reviews made me so happy. I'm glad you're enjoying this as much as I am writing it. _

_Here is the next part for you and I want to apologise for how long it's taken me - a combination of both technological problems and motivational issues if I'm honest. _

_Anyways, I hope you like. Please read and review - feel free to offer me constructive criticism because it helps me tremendously. _

_Leanne xx_

* * *

_**Disclaimer: **_

_Still don't own Waterloo Road. Everything you recognise is property of Shed TV. _

* * *

**Half Alive**

**Part Eight**

"Here," Rob passed Jess a box of tissues and she gave him a watery smile in return. "Do you want to talk?"

Jess seemed to be considering it for a minute, eyeing him intently as though working out if she could trust him. She thought she could. Every time she'd seen him and her mum together, she couldn't recall ever seeing her that at ease when she was at home. It could have been that Jess was imagining it but at least on Rob's part she was sure she wasn't. She'd caught him watching her several times now, but what she also knew was that neither of them had realised what was staring them so obviously in the face. She doubted her mum would act on it, even if she did. "Do you like my mum?" She asked frankly, surprising them both; whatever Rob had been expecting her to say it wasn't this.

"I care about her a lot," He answered after reflecting on the question, and handing her a glass of water which she accepted gratefully. "She's a good friend, why do you ask?"

Jess was silent for a while and Rob watched as she twisted a wet tissue in her hands, before tearing it to shreds and piling it neatly on the corner of his desk. "Why didn't you want me to fetch Karen?" He asked, probing gently for the source of her daughter's discomfort.

The young girl looked up at his question and she couldn't help but wonder if her mum had confided in Rob. "Because she doesn't need to know," Jess replied finally, a trace of irritation lacing her words, "She has enough on her plate at the minute and I don't want to add to that."

From the knowing look Rob gave her, Jess knew that he had to know something about what was going on in their home even if he didn't say anything in response to her comment, and she felt somewhat reassured about the prospect of talking to him. "Well if you do want to talk about anything, I'm a good listener." He sensed her reluctance, and continued, "I won't pretend I understand what it's like for you, but sometimes it helps to talk."

Jess' face closed up at the reminder of why she was there. She didn't want to talk abut it because she didn't think she could bear the sympathy but at the same time there was this irrepressible desire to spill everything she'd been carrying around with her recently. Rob watched her having a silent inner battle with herself, and reached across the desk for some maintenance forms. Neither of them spoke as he started to fill them in and Jess watched him for a few minutes before getting up the courage to speak. It seemed strange; mouthy Jess Fisher afraid of talking? It wasn't a word usually associated with her, but there was nothing else other than scared, or downright terrified which could describe how she was feeling now. "Our lesson was on domestic violence," She spoke so quietly that Rob had to lean forward to be able to hear her clearly. Her eyes had misted over, and she traced her fingers over the raised up surface of the desk. "I couldn't handle it."

Rob put his pen down, unsure what to say at first; whether to bring up what he knew about their home situation or – now that he knew it was in relation to that – to suggest that Jess spoke to her mum about it. It turned out he didn't need to say anything though because the young girl continued to talk, "There were all these statistics, and the percentage of unreported cases of domestic abuse should have shocked me, but it didn't because – because –" Her voice trailed off and she muttered something incoherent. It had been one thing suspecting it and something completely different actually knowing the truth. Just as there was a difference between knowing and being forced to put a label on _it._

"Because you know your Mum has become one of those statistics,"Rob supplied for her, dully choosing his words carefully, warily surveying the vulnerable teen.

Jess nodded wordlessly because she couldn't have put it any better herself. "You already knew didn't you?" She said finally, "Mum told you what he does to her."

The words made them both feel sick to the stomach and haltingly Rob started to speak, "I figured it out," He admitted, "I've known for a couple of weeks now." There was an awkward pause, "When did you find out?"

Jess leaned forward in her chair, her long red tresses falling in front of her face and shielding her from his enquiring eyes. "If feels like I've always known something wasn't right between them," She admitted softly and Rob gathered she'd picked up on the atmosphere between her parents. Jess was a clever girl and if things at home were as tense as he'd witnessed on Friday, it really wasn't difficult. "But I just assumed it spelled out divorce," She continued, "It wouldn't surprise me; they don't know I know but Dad, he – he's been seeing other women for years."

Rob could feel himself becoming angered by her words, but found he wasn't surprised either. If Charlie could hit her, then he could certainly sleep with other woman without thinking anything of it. Though how he could possibly want anyone else when he had Karen to go home to was beyond him.

"The other morning I noticed that she had a black eye," Jess said, bringing Rob back to the conversation at hand, "I asked her about it and she told me she'd caught it on a cupboard." Rob nodded understandingly, "I might have believed her if she hadn't completely covered it up. I didn't understand why she'd do that if it was an accident." The words caught in her throat and she began to cough so Rob refilled her drink. Taking a sip of water and a moment to compose herself, she continued her explanation, "I couldn't prove it so I was going to watch and see how they behaved, but Dad wasn't there. He spent the weekend shacked up with one of his whores!"

There was a startling amount of venom in her voice; her fist angrily made contact with the wooden desk and Rob winced, hearing a loud crack. Tears spilled impassively down her cheeks and she forced herself to continue, possibly knowing that if she didn't, she wouldn't be able to finish. She stood up and began to pace around, agitated and unable to sit still anymore, "I got up early this morning though and I thought mum had overslept because I couldn't hear her downstairs, so I went to wake her. I was outside their room and I heard a slap," Jess shook her head to clear it of the unpleasant mental imagery her words conjured up – as if it was really that simple – and she had to fight down a wave of sudden dizziness. "When I opened the door, he – she – he had her pinned against a wall, I couldn't do anything." Her voice rose hysterically and she sank back into her chair as the brave façade crumbled. "How could he do that to her?"

Rob couldn't answer that question, because he didn't have the first idea what possessed anyone to behave that appallingly towards someone they'd once promised to love unconditionally, "There was nothing you could've done Jess," Rob said into the silence. For a while neither of them said anything, the quietness of the room only broken by the sound of the teenager crying. "Does your mum know what you saw?" He asked eventually, once her tears had subsided; there were lines of worry etched on his face, and not even a glimmer of the usual sparkle in his eye.

Jess looked up from the desk shamefaced, and slowly shook her head, "I had to hide in the bathroom until Dad had gone, and then I went to check on her, but she'd locked herself in." She absentmindedly toyed with the many bracelets looped over her wrist. "I left the house before she came down. I wanted to stay but – but I didn't know how to face her because I knew she'd just act as though nothing had happened." There was a pleading note in her voice for Rob to understand and it was clear she blamed herself.

Rob reached out to lay a hand on her arm but instantly retracted it, thinking better of his involuntary movement. "I haven't known Karen long," He hesitated briefly before continuing, "But it seems to me that this is her way of dealing with what's happening."

"But she's not dealing with it," Jess replied pointedly, running a hand frustratedly through her hair. "That's the point."

Rob sighed; as much as he didn't want to have to involve Karen he knew he didn't have a choice. Her daughter was in pieces and instead of speaking to him; her mum was the one who she should be saying this to. Although Jess had confided in him, Rob still felt as though he was intruding on a private conversation. "Jess, I know I said I wouldn't but –"

"You're going to fetch my mum," Jess finished for him, biting her already short black nails. At least she didn't sound angry.

"I really think you need to be having this conversation with her," Rob explained. "I know you think you're a grown up now," He gave her a small smile, "My Aiden's the same." At his words Jess gave him a weak grin in return. "But you're too young to have to cope with something like this on your own." She didn't reply, but she did understand what he was saying was right, and that he only wanted to help them. Somehow talking to the site manager had lifted a weight from her shoulders, "Okay," She answered finally.

Rob sent her another reassuring smile, "You can stay here. I'll go and speak to her first, okay?"

Jess nodded gratefully incapable of speaking, and he got up from his seat. "Thank you," She said, suddenly finding her voice again, "For this and – and for being there for my mum."

Rob gave her a casual shrug, swallowing the beginnings of a lump that had formed at her words, "You're welcome," He said, choked, "If you ever need anything-" He left the rest of his sentence unfinished, disappearing out of the office.

Jess watched his retreating figure disappear through the double doors at the end of the corridor and sighed, pulling her bag towards her and retrieving her science work. With the heavy feeling in her chest somewhat eased, she began attempting to understand their latest homework. The last thing she needed was another lecture.


	9. Chapter 9

**Author Note:**

_Firstly guys, thank you so much for all of your reviews. They mean a lot to me and I'm intensely proud of them all. Secondly, apologies for how long it has taken me to update anything - I'm fully aware that it's been a month since I last updated any of my work. This is due to a combination of issues thrown at me by life, and over the last week or so - writers block._

_However, after watching last night's Waterloo Road and being left thoroughly unimpressed and missing Karen tremendously, it was the motivation I had to start working on my stories again._

_So here is an update for you. Thank you all for you continued patience, and once again for the lovely comments. I hope you enjoy this chapter._

_Please read and review!_

_Leanne xx_

* * *

**Half Alive **

**Part Nine**

When Rob made his way up to Karen's office he was surprised to notice that Janeece wasn't at her desk, so he just walked straight through. He knocked lightly on the closed office door and heard her quietly summon him in. Rob pushed open the door and Karen was sat at her desk on the phone. She smiled briefly at him, motioning him to come in and sit down. "Well if you could get onto it straight away, I'd appreciate it," Karen spoke through gritted teeth and Rob winced at the tone of her voice as he waited for her to finish the call. There was silence for a minute, "Yes I understand perfectly," Her voice dropped another octave and he was sincerely glad not to be on the receiving end of her words, "Goodbye." The phone was put back down with a deliberately loud clatter. "Hey," She said addressing Rob, after quickly recomposing herself.

"Hi," Rob answered quickly, "Bad day?" He gestured at the phone, forcing himself to start the conversation.

Exasperated, Karen ran a hand through her hair and sighed; nothing was going right today. She was surrounded by people who were incapable of doing the jobs they were paid to do, her whole body ached from Charlie's beating, and she couldn't fail to pick up on the stilted atmosphere that had descended on the office like a heavy black rain cloud with the site manager's entrance. She wondered if Rob could possibly know, even without her having mentioned it. "You could say that," She murmured, realising she hadn't given him an answer. "Eight weeks," Karen groaned, "Eight weeks I've been waiting for my replacement Spanish teacher and all I get from the board is that they're sorting it!"

Rob smiled sympathetically, though he was new that term he knew what Karen was on about; the staff room rumour mill were only too happy to fill him in on Cesca Montoya's forbidden romance, though that in itself was quite unnecessary. The local papers had had a field day with that story for weeks, leading Rob to wonder, quite how Karen managed to deal with such a negative sequence of events. "Sounds rough," He commented awkwardly.

Karen wrote an address on a brown envelope and didn't speak as she rifled in the top drawer for a stamp. Sighing again when she couldn't find one, she scribbled a note to herself before speaking again. "Is everything okay?" She asked, her eyes flicking from her computer screen to Rob's face. She watched him fidget uncomfortably for a minute and try unsuccessfully to rearrange his features into a neutral expression. "Rob?" She queried gently, when he didn't respond.

"Not really," Rob muttered, dropping heavily onto her sofa, "Can we talk?" He indicated for Karen to come and take a seat next to him, which she did so, a frown creasing her brow. "It's about Jess," He said finally, when it became apparent that she was expecting him to initiate the conversation, and when he realised that he couldn't exactly evade the subject. He just didn't know what to say.

Karen instantly thought the worse when she saw the worried expression on his face, in conjunction with the mention of her youngest daughter. Chris had already been in that morning to have a word about her slipping grades in both chemistry and physics. "What has she done now?" She sighed uncomfortably; sure she knew the cause of Jess' recent wayward behaviour.

"Don't worry; she's not in any trouble," Rob was quick to reassure her, groaning inwardly as he realised how his words had been construed. "She's in my office," He admitted after another pause, "I found her outside of class about an hour ago and she was in a bit of a state. I spoke to her but I think you need to talk to her. She clearly needs her mum."

"Did she say what the matter was?" Karen asked anxiously biting her lip, although she wasn't sure she could face his answer. She could feel a warm flush creeping up her neck and her cheeks became tinged with pink; her stomach also gave a guilty lurch because she knew the atmosphere at home had to be at least part of the cause. Jess had been quiet for the last week and a half and had completely distanced herself from her mother; it reminded Karen painfully of how things used to be before Bex returned. Rob hesitated; he didn't know how to tell Karen what Jess had said, feeling both horrified at the extent Charlie's behaviour was having both on her and the Fisher family as a whole, and slightly in the wrong for knowing more about her daughter than Karen did. "I'm a big girl Rob," Karen said, deliberately slowly. "I can handle it, if that's what you're worried about."

"Jess - she -" He stammered, feeling his face burn as he struggled over the words. "She knows what Charlie hasbeendoing toyou," Rob said quickly, his words all rolling together in his haste to get them out of his mouth without retching. He prayed she wouldn't ask him to repeat them because he wasn't sure he could, and found himself looking everywhere but at Karen.

"She thinks she knows," Karen said shortly, but if Rob had been able to bring himself to watch her he'd have seen her firmly fixing her gaze on the carpet, he'd have seen the blush on her cheeks and the wetness pooling in her eyes.

Rob reached across the table towards her, and placed his hand on top of her own surprised when she didn't shy away from the contact, "Karen," He started to speak, sternly.

"Don't take that tone of voice with me," She snapped defensively yanking her hand away from him and folding her arms across her chest; both as a measure of her discomfort and expression of the sudden anger she felt.

"She saw what happened between you this morning," Rob's own voice deepened, and he forced himself to look at her, "The lesson she walked out of was PSHE; its domestic violence week Karen, she knows!" He said the last bit gently; the tone of judgement which had been momentarily present had been replaced with one of sympathy.

Karen began to play with a stray thread that dangled from the cuff of one of her sleeves, her eyes stinging with the effort of keeping from crying. "Oh," She started feebly, not knowing what to say. She already blamed herself for the entire situation without him having to lay the guilt on thicker. The single word dissipated into the heavy atmosphere, leaving them both awkwardly watching one another. She tried to meet his eyes with a defiant glare but this only gave him the exact opposite impression; the overly bright eyes and trembling bottom lip gave her away instantly.

"You don't need to pretend everything is okay with me Karen," Rob told her softly, instantly breaking the façade she'd constructed between them, "You spend too much of your time having to hide the truth from everyone as it is, and contrary to how it may seem I'm not stupid. I can see that you're hurting."

"I don't even know what to say," She answered honestly, surprising herself not just because of how difficult she found it to hide things from him, but also because she was acknowledging feelings, she hadn't allowed herself to face up to over the past few months. "I haven't exactly felt much like talking lately," Karen's tone changed, and this unnerved Rob because she spoke so casually that they could have been discussing something as trivial as the weather forecast. He opened his mouth to comment at the sudden change in temperament and let out a sigh as he watched her, for she'd now gone back to staring blankly at the walls, and tracing the wooden whorls on her desk.

Karen inwardly groaned as she saw him hesitate before speaking and chose to interrupt. "Look Rob, I know you want to help and I don't want you to think I don't appreciate it… We will talk about this later but for now my main priority is Jess." Part of her knew she was only saying that to keep him from kicking up a fuss, but it also gave her some time to think about what she'd say to him.

"Of course," Rob replied quickly, relieved that she was at least willing to entertain the idea of speaking to him, even if he hadn't exactly given her much choice. Karen eased herself up from the chair behind her desk, wincing as the tenderness of her lower back protested. She tried to act like it was nothing, but Rob had been watching her closely and wasn't fooled for an instant, "Karen?" There was the hint of a question in his voice and she knew she'd been caught out, so resignedly gripped the edges of her shirt lifting it up her body. He couldn't help but to gasp at what he saw; her back was still bright red and mottled purple in places, particularly above where one of her kidneys should be. He could also clearly see the indent made, by what he assumed to be a door handle, "You should get that looked at," He told her reaching out and examining the injury more closely.

Karen's eyes narrowed scornfully, "Because that would take some explaining," She commented sarcastically, "What exactly am I supposed to say?"

"You could tell the truth," Rob suggested shrewdly but Karen was barely listening to him. She didn't even bother to dignify his comment with a response, holding the door open and pointedly indicating for him to step out in front of her. Sighing, Rob did as she instructed and they walked through the corridor in silence. Karen hesitated outside Rob's office, watching through the gap in the blinds as her daughter bent her head over a pile of work, pausing only to change the song on her iPod. "I'll just leave you both too it," He told her, sensing her discomfort. "I've got a few things to be getting on with anyway."

Karen nodded gratefully, "Thanks Rob," She paused hesitantly, "Thank you for looking out for my daughter. Over the last few weeks I've not been there for her, for any of my kids in fact, and I should've been. I'm glad that you were."

Rob smiled, briefly reaching out and squeezing her shoulder, "Don't beat yourself up about it," He answered absent-mindedly without thinking and stopping abruptly as he realised what he'd actually said. "Sorry Karen," He apologised, his face turning the colour of beetroot as he became suddenly interested in the grafitti on the wall. "I just meant -"

Karen, who'd momentarily frozen because of his poor choice in words waved away his apology, "It's fine," She answered, trying to muster a smile. "I know what you meant."There was an anxious pause, which turned into a couple of moments of thoughtful silence.

"It's not your fault you know," His voice quietly worked it's way inside her thoughts and she blinked a couple of times before replying.

"So you keep saying," Her voice was despondent and void of any emotion, though Rob had a feeling she was struggling to hide her feelings. "I know you mean well Rob, and like I told you before I'm grateful for everything you've done for me -"

Rob's forehead creased slightly as he anticipated what was coming next, "Why do I feel like there's a 'but' coming?" He questioned, scrutinising her closely.

"But it doesn't matter how many times you say that, it doesn't make it any easier to believe." She admitted.

"Jess doesn't blame you," Rob told her matter of factly as thought that settled the matter; he was sure after a conversation with her daughter that Karen was the last person to bear the brunt of Jess' anger. "If this is anyone's fault, it's Charlie's."

Karen paused at the mention of her husband, her fist closing around the handle to Rob's office door, "Well she should," Her words were almost whispered as she voiced her inner guilt, "Because I do. You and Jess - you can blame Charlie as much as you like for what he does to me but I should've done something about the situation before it ever came down to affecting the children." Her eyes clouded over with tears, and she ducked her head to hide them from Rob. She dimly felt him give her shoulder another squeeze, heard him utter a mumbled 'see you later', and his footsteps steadily retreating. Straightening up and taking a steadying breath, Karen pushed open the door, trying to control her hands from shaking.


End file.
